SASUF Long-Term Mobility Grants 2026 for PhD Students and Early Career Researchers

Overview

The South Africa–Sweden University Forum offers the Long-Term Mobility Grants to support PhD students and early career researchers in undertaking a five-month research mobility period between participating universities in South Africa and Sweden. The programme aims to strengthen academic networks, encourage international research collaboration, facilitate the exchange of ideas, and help researchers develop new skills and research interests. Funding for the programme is provided by STINT, which is the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education.

Who can apply

The call is open to doctoral students and early career researchers at a Swedish SASUF partner university wishing to visit a participating South African university, as well as candidates at a South African SASUF partner university wishing to visit a participating Swedish institution. Applicants must be currently enrolled as doctoral students or have obtained their doctoral degree in 2022 or later. Candidates must remain employed by or enrolled at their home university during the application process and throughout the entire mobility period. The mobility must last for five full and consecutive months without being divided into separate stays.

What you get

The financial support covers travel, maintenance, accommodation, and eligible additional mobility costs, with the exact level depending on the direction of travel. South African applicants travelling to Sweden receive a maintenance allowance of SEK 30,000 per month for five months and up to SEK 15,000 for travel and visa-related expenses. Swedish applicants travelling to South Africa receive a maintenance allowance of SEK 2,932 per month, up to SEK 10,000 per month for housing, and up to SEK 15,000 for travel expenses. Successful applicants continue their individual research projects while integrating into a research group at the host university.

Requirements

Applicants must identify a suitable host university, supervisor, or research group from the current SASUF+ partner university list and obtain an invitation letter prior to applying. Candidates must also provide a completed application form, a confirmation letter from their supervisor, mentor, principal investigator, or line manager granting permission for the mobility, a CV and publication list of up to four pages with a font size of at least 12, and a motivation letter. All required documents must be combined into a single PDF file. Grantholders are later required to submit a financial statement of expenses, repay any unspent funds, and write a report of at least one A4 page detailing their activities and outcomes.

How to apply

Applicants must prepare the required documentation using the appropriate application template for South African or Swedish researchers. The complete application must be combined into a single PDF file and submitted by email to sasuf@uu.se. The subject line of the email must follow the specific format of SASUF Long-term mobility for NAME.

Key dates

Applications open on 2 October 2026 and close on 4 November 2026. Selection results will be announced by 31 December 2026. The mobility period and reporting must be completed by 1 June 2028.